Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Just the thought of cinnamon rolls – warm, gooey, soft, sweet – maakes me literally swoon. I love them. As much as I love the little devils (and I hate to say this) I hate to bake them. The problem is not the sweet yeast dough or the rolling or the slicing. I simply have no patience for the waiting that is required of me during the proofing, rolling, slicing and proofing again process. I realize this is totally unreasonable, but it’s just the truth. I’d like to introduce you to Cinnamon Roll Muffins – add the yeast, subtract the long rising.

Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Ingredients
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast
2/3 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg

Filling/Topping:
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground cardamom

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk or cream

Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup filled with the warmed milk, then stir milk mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.

While the dough rests, mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly.

Divide the batter between 12 greased muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula.)

Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until bread is lightly browned at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.
Cool for at least 30 minutes before whisking the powdered sugar and milk together to form an icing and drizzling it onto the bread.

Serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.